Cement-Free Residential Building: Building Culture of the Future in Earth and Timber

We develop building systems from earth and timber to combine the strengths of both materials in the best possible way. ©Lehmit

8. January 2026

Brochure Building Systems in Earth and Timber

With the new Lehmit Compendium, we provide a compact resource that brings together our knowledge and experience in building with earth and timber – ready to print or share. The brochure highlights the advantages of this hybrid approach, ranging from acoustic performance and indoor climate to fire safety and circular construction with minimal embodied energy. It presents innovative ceiling, interior wall and exterior wall systems, as well as the entire project process from planning through to realization. The handbook is aimed at architects, clients and companies seeking sustainable, resource-efficient and technically advanced solutions in earth-and-timber construction for their projects.

Artificial light helps shape the atmosphere day and night, as here at Hortus. ©Maris Mezulis, Herzog & de Meuron

17. December 2025

Ceiling Lighting in Earth-and-Timber Slabs

In design, great importance is placed on the natural lighting of interiors. Just as important, however, is the lighting design of the artificial light, which shapes how people perceive atmosphere, spaces and materials. Ceiling lighting is used frequently because it allows large-area, flexible application without taking up any space in the floor plan. The connections for it have to be planned in early, though, to allow efficient prefabrication and installation. In earth-and-timber slabs there is also the structured grid, which has to be factored into the design and the positioning. In our projects to date we have realised two options, which we present here.

The Scandinavian timber construction and architecture community gathers each year at the Oslo Timber Construction Days.

15. June 2025

Lehmit Presents in Oslo

At the Oslo International Timber Conference 2025, Bettina Baggenstos gave a presentation on Hortus and Lehmit, sharing our experiences and ideas to inspire the Scandinavian market. The presentation was recorded and broadcast, and is now available to watch here:

21. May 2025

Why building in Earth and Timber?

Earth and timber are among the world’s oldest building materials and have proven their value over centuries. With modern manufacturing techniques and prefabrication, these traditional materials can now be applied efficiently in demanding, contemporary architectural projects. Earth in combination with timber enables the construction of buildings with extremely low embodied energy, while offering an authentic and distinctive aesthetic.